Rewinding roller for winding to and from a web of material



Sept. 26, 1967 RQTTER 3,343,761

REWINDING ROLLER FOR WINDING TO AND FROM A WEB OF MATERIAL Filed Jan. 24, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. I

IN VEN TOR:

WFW

Sept. 26, 1967 E. F. ROTTER 3,343,761

REWINDING ROLLER FOR WINDING TO AND FROM A WEB OF MATERIAL Filed Jan. 24, 1966 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 5

IN V EN TOR:

C(MF. M

United States Patent 3,343,761 REWINDING ROLLER FOR WINDING TO AND FROM A WEB 0F MATERIAL Erhard F. Rotter, Dusseldorf, Germany, assignor to Gebr. Poensgen GmbH, Dusseldorf, Germany Fiied Jan. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 522,637 Claims. (Cl. 24275.5)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a rewinding roller com prising two winding rollers for winding to and fro a web of material from one stock roll on a winding roller onto another stock roll on a second Winding roller at constant winding speed. Specifically, the invention relates to a rewinding roller wherein the two winding rollers are coupled with the output member of one infinitely variable transmission each and the adjusting mechanisms of the transmissions are interconnected by an adjustable control transmission being adapted such that the speeds 11. and n of the output members in every position of the control transmission fulfill the condition 1 1 W constant and wherein the control transmission is controllable by the difference of the circumferential speeds of the stock rolls.

Background of the invention Rewinding rollers of the type indicated are known per se, for instance, from the German patent specifications 962,424 and 1,104,918. The present invention aims at improving on the rewinding rollers as therein described.

In the prior art rewinding rollers the infinitely variable transmissions are designed as friction drives having an input member and an output member, the input and output members directly engaging each other on a contact circle of the output member. Through shifting of the input and output members with respect to each other the contact circle and thus the transmission ratio may be varied. Then, the diameter of the contact circle changes and the reciprocal value of the output speed changes therewith substantially linearly with the path of adjustment of the adjusting mechanism. To allow for the winding condition 1 1 W+W eonstant under these conditions, the control transmission is designed as double crank drive supplying paths of adjustment 1' cos (p and r sin go, when r is the crank radius and g0 an angle of adjustment of the control transmission. From sin g0+COS p=1 it follows that with the indicated paths of adjustment the winding condition for all o is fulfilled.

In the textile industry, fine and tension-sensitive woven and knitted fabric, such as elastic woven and knitted fabric, is being increasingly produced. In such materials, it is of particular importance to avoid irregular tension. This applies not only to winding and rewinding such as in a jigger, but also to loading and subsequent unloading of the jigger: the stock must be wound into the jigger from one roll on a winding beam, and after the processing operation, when the jigger is being unloaded, the roll must again be wound onto the winding beam. When sensitive materials are involved, such as have increasingly come on the market lately, it is absolutely necessary that when winding the stock in and out, the winding tension is just as small as when rewinding in the jigger and is maintained constant with great accuracy. This maintaining constant may advantageously be carried out with the same control mechanism provided in the jigger itself for the rewinding operation, in that the winding beams are coupled to the rewinding transmission via chain drives.

This simple measure becomes problematic by the fact that the winding beams available in the finishing plants in many instances have very small diameters as compared with the maximum roll diameter, generally only mm. Therewith, in jiggers for a roll diameter of 1,000 mm. the control range to be covered when Winding out and in becomes about double that required for winding and rewinding in the jigger itself. The control range of the infinitely variable transmission would have to be at least of the order of 1:10.

This is not attainable with the prior art constructions as described. In the prior art constructions there is provided an input member rotating at constant circumferential .speed and the contact circle on the output member changes. The input member is, for instance, a friction wheel which is movable along the generatrix of a coneshaped output member. Thus, the output speed is inversely proportional to the diameter of the contact circle on the output cone. Now, the practical or usable range of diameter of contact circle is limited downwardly for mechanical reasons. For instance, the input member is slightly deformed when being forced against the output member which becomes noticeable when small diameters of the contact circle are involved. Further, the input member abuts the output member on a finite width. Consequently, the circumferential speeds on the one and on the other side of the area of engagement are difiierent, and that is the more strongly, the smaller are the diameters of the contact circle. Further, the transmittable torques with small diameters of the contact circle are accordingly small. For this reason the control range of such friction drives as they are used in the prior art constructions can only be extended by a corresponding enlargement of the output member. This, however, leads to further difiiculties: with an enlargement of the output member also the moment of inertia increases. The result of this is, that with changes in speed within the control action, in particular in the higher speed range, there will occur considerable inertia forces which must then be overcome via the small diameters of the contact circle. It has shown that with the transmissions used for the prior art arrangements it is impossible to pass beyond a control range of 1:4 to 1:45.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a rewinding roller of the type as described wherein the control range is sufiicient, with the same control mechanism to unwind the stock from a winding beam of relatively small diameter with constant tension and also to wind it onto the rewinding-Winding rollers.

According to the present invention this object is attained by the following features:

(a) The infinitely variable transmissions are formed in a manner known per se with an input member, an output member and a transmission member interposed therebetween, and by means of the adjusting mechanism the position of the transmission member is variable simultaneously with respect to the input and output members so that therewith the speed transmissions between the input member and the transmission member on the one hand and between the transmission member and the output member on the other hand change in the same sense.

(b) The control transmission is designed as cam transmission or a combination of cam transmissions.

By the use of a transmission with an intermediate member a greater control range becomes possible, without the diameter of the contact circle becoming intolerably small. On the one hand the relative position of transmission and output members and thus, the diameter of the contact circle on the output member is changed. However, at the same time, also the speed of the transmission member engaging the output member is changed. Thus, the output speed is not only dependent on the diameter of the contact circle on the output member. Added to this rather is a second factor in form of the linear speed of the transmission member, whereby a substantial exten sion of the control range becomes possible Without the diameters of the contact circle having to become intolerably small or the moment of inertia of the output member having to become intolerably great.

By the multiplication of the transmission ratios obtained here however, a non-linear connection between path of adjustment and reciprocal value of speed is obtained here. For this reason, the control transmission according to the second feature of the invention is no longer designed as sine-lever transmission, but as cam transmission. Therewith, the desired connection of the paths of adjustment may be obtained in any case, so that the winding condition is always fulfilled.

Description of the drawings The invention may be realized in various manners. Two embodiments of the present invention are present in the drawings and described as follows:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic plan view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view as seen at line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic plan view of a second embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view as seen at line 4-4 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a developed (laid out) view of the control cam employed in the embodiment of FIGURE 3.

Description of the preferred embodiments Reference numerals 1 and 2 in FIGS. 1 and 2 designate the two winding rollers. The rollers 1 and 2 have the winding rolls 3 and 4 of a web 5 of material arranged thereon. Web 5 extends between rolls 3 and 4 via guide pulleys 6 and 7 as well as a dancer roll 8. The dancer roll 8- is mounted on a slider 9 sliding in a housing 10 and being under the influence of a spring 11. Spring 11 determines the tensile stress to which the material 5 is subjected. The housing 10 has a fluid inlet 12 as well as two outlets 13 and 14. Two hydraulic control conduits and 16 entering into housing 10 are closed when the slider 9 is in the central position. Dancer roll 8 along with elements 9-14 function as a sensing means.

When the circumferential speed of roll 3 becomes greater than that of roll 4, the material loop between the two is shortened and the slider 9 is moved to the left (as seen in the drawings) by the pull on dancer roll 8. When the circumferential speed of roll 4 is greater, the slider 9 moves to the right by reason of the shortening of spring 11. In the former case conduit 16 will communicate with outlet 14 and conduit 15 with fluid inlet 12. Therefore, fluid will flow into conduit 15 and discharge through conduit 16. In the latter case, however, fluid flows from inlet 12 into conduit 16 and from 15 discharges via outlet 13. The conduits 15 and 16 lead to two oppositely acting hydraulic final control elements 17 and 18- to rotate a cam disk 19, the function of which will be explained subsequently.

The rollers 1 and 2 are driven by a motor 26 via reduction gears 20, 21 and 22, 23, respectively, and one infinitely variable transmission each 24 and 25, respectively. The motor 26 drives a flywheel 27 and a pulley 28. Through a belt 29 pulley 28 drives the belt pulleys d 30, 31 on the input shafts 32 and 33, respectively, of the infinitely variable transmissions 24 and 25, respectively.

The transmissions 24 and 25 are alike and therefore, only transmission 24 is described in greater detail. Corresponding parts of the transmission 25 are designated with the same reference numerals, but are followed by a prime The input shaft 32 has an input member in form of a disk 34 mounted thereon. The output shaft 35 has mounted thereon an output member in form of a disk 36. Disk 36 is opposite and parallel to disk 34 and has the same diameter as the latter. A transmission or coupling member has the form of a ball 37 rotatable about an axis 38 and engaging both disks 34 and 36. It can be seen that the diameters of the contact circles, which circles are shown as at 39 and 40, change in opposite sense when the axis of rotation of the ball is pivoted. The radius of contact circle 39 is indicated at R,, and that of circle 40 is R,,. The contact circle 39 becomes greater and the contact circle 40 becomes smaller when the axis of rotation 38 is pivoted in clockwise direction. Pivoting of the axis of rotation 38 is effected by means of a final control element or member 41 having a ball head 42 thereof in a recess of an axially slidably guided sensing pin 43 to engage the latter.

Via disk 34 ball 37 is driven by shaft 32 on the contact circle 40. The smaller the diameter of the contact circle 40 is at a given input speed, the higher becomes the speed of ball 37 about axis 38. However, ball 37 is effective to drive disk 36 on the contact circle 39 and thus the output shaft 35, and that is at a given ball speed the output speed is the higher, the greater is the diameter of the circle of contact 39. Since the diameters of the contact circles change in opposite sense upon the pivoting of the axis of rotation 38, a relatively large speed range may be covered, without obtaining undesirably small diameters of the contact circle. In FIG. 1, the pivotal setting of axis 38 is indicated at (p1, while that of axis 38 as p2.

The sensing pins 43, 43' abut the cam disk 19. Upon rotation of disk 19 by means of the final control elements 17 and 18, the transmission ratios of the transmissions 24 and 25 are changed. The cam disk 19 is adapted such that the output speeds n n always fulfill the winding condition 1 1 W+W=GOI1Sifint Thus, the cam disk 19 with the sensing pins 43, 43 represents the control transmission in the sense of the present invention. When the material tension is changed due to different circumferential speeds of the winding rolls 3 and 4, an integrating adjustment of the slider 9 and therewith of the cam disk 19 is eifected until by adjustment of the transmissions 24 and 25 the same circumferential speeds on the two winding rolls 3, 4 are again obtained.

A winding beam 47 may be driven through the connection provided by sprocket 45 thereon, chain 46 and sprocket 44 on winding roller 2. Winding beam 47 has a smaller diameter than that of roller 2 and carries a roll of material 48 which is to be wound onto roller 1. This must also be effected with constant tension so as not to Warp the material. As indicated by the broken line 49, the material from roll 48 is guided around pulley 7, dancer roll 8 and pulley 6 and is rewound onto roller 1. Due to the great control range of the transmissions 24 and 25, this is possible despite the relatively small diameter of the winding beam 47.

Transmissions of the type as indicated by 24 and 25 are commercially available, for instance, from Messrs. Eisenwerk Wiilfen under the name of Kopp-Tourator. For increasing the transmittable torque, several balls 37 may be arranged about the circumference of the disks 34, 36 and the axes of rotation 38 of the balls can be pivoted by a common link motion. The shape of the cam disk 19 may either be calculated or determined empirically.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate a further embodied form of the present invention, which operates with a different type of infinitely variable transmission and a different type of control transmission than the embodied form of FIG. 1. Otherwise, similar parts in FIGS. 3 and 4 are provided with the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The two infinitely variable transmissions in FIGS. 3 and 4 are referenced 50 and 51. They are designed similarly, and therefore only the transmission 50 is more fully described. The transmission comprises two pairs of cone disks, one pair being 52, 53 and the other pair 54, 55, positioned with the conical faces thereof facing each other. The disks 54, 55 of the one pair are individually axially movably mounted on the input shaft 32, while the disks 52 and 53 comprising the second pair are accordingly individually movably mounted on the output shaft 35. The disks 52, 53, 54 and 55 are all keyed to the respective shaft 35 and 32, respectively, so that they rotate in unison with their respective shafts. Around the disks 52 and 53 on the one side and 54 and '55 on the other side there is guided a V belt 56. The contact circles on which the V belt 56 abuts the disks 52 and 53, and 54 and 55, respectively, depend on the spacing of the disks and determine the transmission ratio between input and output shafts 32 and 35. This spacing is controlled by the control transmission.

This control transmission comprises two levers 57 and 58 which are pivoted as at 59 and 60 respectively. The levers 57 and 58 have pins 61, 62, and 63, 64, respectively, which pins engage in grooves 65a, 66a, 67a and 68a of the hubs 65, 66, 67, 68. Hubs 65, 66, 67 and 68 are respectively a part of the disks 52, 54, 53 and 55. Thus, by pivoting the levers about points 59 and 60 the disks 52 to 55 may be axially moved on the respective shafts. For instance, when pivoting lever 57 clockwise, the cone disk 52 is moved (as viewed) upwardly and at the name time cone disk 54 is moved downwardly. Thus, with such counter-clockwise pivoting the contact circle on the output side is reduced and at the same time the contact circle on the input side is increased. Obviously, the reverse pivotal movement of the levers has the reverse effect. Accordingly, the lever 58 controls the cone disks 53 and 55,

The levers 57 and 58 are controlled by a grooved roller 69. The latter is suitably formed with curved grooves 70, 71 on the periphery thereof (see also FIG. 3). The ends of levers 57 and 58 are engaged in grooves 70 and 71. The grooved roller 69 is rotated by a hydraulic servomotor 72 having a shaft 73. Servomotor 72 is controlled by slider 9 via conduits 15 and 16.

The levers 57 and 58 and the grooved roller 69 represent the control members or transmission in the sense of the present invention. The disks 54 and 55 are the input members, the disks 52 and 53 the output members, and the V-shaped belt 56 is the transmission member.

It can be seen from this representation that the present invention may be realized as to the design thereof in quite different manners.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. In an apparatus wherein a web of material is Wound from a roll of constantly changing radius on a first stock roller to a roll of constantly changing radius on a second stock roller with a portion of web therebetween and using a power means, the improvement comprising:

a first infinitely variable speed transmission having an input shaft, an output shaft and a control member to vary the speed ratio of the output shaft to the input shaft;

a second infinitely variable speed transmission having an input shaft, an output shaft and a control member to vary the speed ratio of the output shaft to the input shaft;

first means connecting the output shaft of the first variable speed transmission to the first stock roller to drive the latter;

second means connecting the output shaft of the second variable speed transmission to the second stock roller to drive the latter;

third means connecting said power means to the two input shafts to drive both transmissions simultaneously therefrom; and

fourth means connected to the two control members and having sensing means to detect the comparative peripheral speed of the roll on the first roller as related to that of the roll on the second roller, and to adjust the output speed n of the output shaft of the first transmission, and the output speed n of the output shaft of the second transmission at all times according to the following relationship:

= constant 2. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sensing means operatively engages said portion of said web to determine said comparative speeds from the length of said portion, and wherein the connection between the fourth means and the two control members includes a cam.

3. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said sensing means includes a dancer roll resiliently urged against said portion of said web.

4. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said sensing means includes a fluid control connected to said dancer roll to supply fluid signals when said dancer roll moves to one side or to the other side of a predetermined zero position, and a fluid motor connected to said fluid control and to said cam to adjust the position of the cam in response to said signals.

5. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein each transmission includes an adjustable means with respect to the input and an adjustable means with respect to output thereof with said adjustable means being interconnected for simultaneous movement in the same sense as the control member of the transmission is actuated.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,028,110 4/1962 Kabelitz 24275.5 X

FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner. N. L. MINTZ, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN AN APPARATUS WHEREIN A WEB OF MATERIAL IS WOUND FROM A ROLL OF CONSTANTLY CHANGING RADIUS ON A FIRST STOCK ROLLER TO A ROLL OF CONSTANTLY CHANGING RADIUS ON A SECOND STOCK ROLLER WITH A PORTION OF WEB THEREBETWEEN AND USING A POWER MEANS, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: A FIRST INFINITELY VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION HAVING AN INPUT SHAFT, AN OUTPUT SHAFT AND A CONTROL MEMBER TO VARY THE SPEED RATIO OF THE OUTPUT SHAFT TO THE INPUT SHAFT; A SECOND INFINITELY VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION HAVING AN INPUT SHAFT, AN OUTPUT SHAFT AND A CONTROL MEMBER TO VARY THE SPEED RATIO OF THE OUTPUT SHAFT TO THE INPUT SHAFT; FIRST MEANS CONNECTING THE OUTPUT SHAFT OF THE FIRST VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION TO THE FIRST STOCK ROLLER TO DRIVE THE LATTER; SECOND MEANS CONNECTING THE OUTPUT SHAFT OF THE SECOND VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION TO THE SECOND STOCK ROLLER TO DRIVE THE LATTER; THIRD MEANS CONNECTING SAID POWER MEANS TO THE TWO INPUT SHAFTS TO DRIVE BOTH TRANSMISSIONS SIMULTANEOUSLY THEREFROM; AND FOURTH MEANS CONNECTING TO THE TWO CONTROL MEMBERS AND HAVING SENSING MEANS TO DETECT THE COMPARATIVE PERIPHERAL SPEED OF THE ROLL ON THE FIRST ROLLER AS RELATED TO THAT OF THE ROLL ON THE SECOND ROLLER, AND TO ADJUST THE OUTPUT SPEED N1 OF THE OUTPUT SHAFT OF THE FIRST TRANSMISSION, AND THE OUTPUT SPEED N2 OF THE OUTPUT SHAFT OF THE SECOND TRANSMISSION AT ALL TIMES ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING RELATIONSHIP; 